MRT breakdowns persist; 3 trains pulled out
THE METRO Rail Transit (MRT)-3 underwent three train removals yesterday due to electrical failure in motor and door failure, the Department of Transportation (DoTr) reported. The DoTr said they have procured spare parts, some from Pink Armour Corporation, Linkers Enterprises, and Nikka Trading, while others are from Germany, and China. The government terminated its maintenance contract last November with Busan Universal Rail, Inc. (BURI), due to what the DoTr alleges as the company’s failure to ensure efficient and available trains and failure to procure the necessary spare parts. The DoTr and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) plan to expand the point-to-point (P2P) MRT-3 project to 60 buses to serve as alternative mode of transport. — Patrizia Paola C. Marcelo